


don't let me go

by planetjauregui



Category: Fifth Harmony (Band)
Genre: Angst, Band Break Up, F/F, Fluff, Kissing, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-29
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2018-12-21 05:16:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 16,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11937081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/planetjauregui/pseuds/planetjauregui
Summary: dinah knows that camila is slipping away from fifth harmony after she released a solo song without telling anyone.  all of them are hurt, but camila is hurt the most and is on the verge of giving up, and dinah will do anything not to lose her.





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

> hey, i decided to make an ao3 account so i could post this fic. this can also be found on wattpad here! https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/115080763-dont-let-me-go-caminah

"You're releasing a song?" Dinah said into the phone, not even letting Camila greet her when she answered.

"Well hello to you too, Dinah," Camila joked, "Yeah, it's a collaboration with Shawn Mendes. We wrote it together at the Taylor Swift concert a few months ago and we decided to record it and release it."

Dinah blinked, "Wow, that's really great. I was just kind of surprised since you didn't tell any of us about it. I mean, I only found out because you tweeted about it." 

Camila hesitated, "Yeah, it was kind of a last minute thing. We had written it a while back but he had called me to ask if I wanted to record it. Who would I be to turn down an offer like that, you know? Plus, it won't interfere with anything we're doing since we have nothing left to promote, and the only thing coming up is Jingle Ball in December," Camila explained, "Would you like to listen to it sometime? You're the only one who's even showed interest in it so far."

"Of course, why would you even ask that?" Dinah asked, "I'd love to listen to anything that had your vocals on it." 

"That means a lot to me," Camila confessed, "Thank you. Hey, I'm sorry to cut this short, but my family is calling me down for dinner. It was so nice to talk to you, Cheechee. I miss you and the girls so so much. I love you." 

"I love you too, bye," Dinah said, then hung up the phone. 

Dinah sat in silence for a moment, gathering her thoughts. She was confused, wondering if she had somehow missed signs that Camila was working on her own stuff. To her knowledge, the other girls had absolutely no idea about the song either, so this had come in and blindsided them from left field. Nonetheless, Dinah was excited for her bandmate, although a little jealous because she was working with Shawn Mendes, who was super dreamy and cute and he wasn't her. 

If Dinah were to say she didn't have a thing for Camila, she would be lying. The girl was her best friend not only in the group, but in the whole world. No one had ever held her heart like Camila did, and sometimes Dinah wondered if she was a little too over her head for wanting to be something more. 

Since they had been formed on the X Factor back in 2012, Camila and Dinah had been inseparable. They were always goofing off together and pulling pranks on each other throughout the day, but at night, they'd devour ice cream and watch movies and talk about life at two in the morning. A lot of these things seemed strictly platonic, but Dinah lived for the moments where she could listen to Camila confess all of her secrets and wonders while the moon was bright in the sky or when they cuddled together in their bunks on the tour bus. 

Dinah had convinced herself that friends do things that flirt with the line of being romantically involved all of the time,  and the butterflies in her stomach were nothing more than platonic love. She realized this was different when Camila had kissed her on the cheek one night and Dinah silently wished that it had been her lips instead. 

Dinah was careful not to let the crush escalate though, and she had long accepted that she could never, ever speak her feelings. Camila had never shown romantic interest in girls, and she'd always been a little boy crazy, falling for every baby faced boy with floppy hair and dimpled cheeks. Because Dinah had none of those attributes and she was, well, a girl, she decided to love Camila from far away, letting her crush stay as a daydream. 

Dinah's thoughts were interrupted when she received a text message from Camila. The message had an audio file attached, which Dinah assumed was the song. Dinah searched for her headphones, wanting to be fully immersed in the song since it would be her first time hearing it. 

She played the song, and let the soothing guitar fill her ears as Camila and Shawn sang along. The song was undeniably catchy, yet completely different from anything Camila had put out with the girls. The style mimicked what Dinah often caught her listening to: slow, guitar heavy with meaningful lyrics about love and loss. Dinah felt like Camila had put a piece of her heart into the song, and she couldn't help but smile when Camila's parts were on. 

After she had listened, she sent off a text detailing how much she loved the song and how grateful she was that Camila had let her listen to it early. Camila messaged back almost immediately, thanking Dinah and telling her that the pleasure was all hers. 

Dinah put her phone away, smiling because she was always proud of her girl for following her heart and taking steps to make herself happy. She just hoped the other girls saw this the same way she did. 


	2. two

Unfortunately, the girls weren't as okay with the song as Dinah hoped they were. They had all flown in from home to the recording studio to continue working on their second album, and the room was as tense as ever. When Dinah had entered the room, Normani and Ally immediately stopped talking, both turning to Dinah guiltily.

"Hey, what's up?" Ally said, trying to sound casual.

"Nothing, what were you guys talking about?" Dinah asked, having a feeling that she already knew.

Normani hesitated, then said, "Just a song that Ally and I recorded. I think you'll really like it, it's got this dope island vibe that sounds exactly like something you'd listen to."

"Sounds great," Dinah said, giving them the benefit of the doubt, "Where's Lauren?"

"Late, as usual. Probably overslept her alarm," Ally said, and Normani let out a giggle.

When Dinah looked at them with confusion, Normani explained, "She brought Lucy along with her. They stayed in a hotel last night. Turns out they're officially an item." 

"I'm happy for her," Dinah smiled. 

If it weren't for Normani and Ally, Dinah was sure she'd never be caught up with everyone's lives within the group. Somehow, those two were always the first to know about everything and they were the first to announce new information. Unless that person specifically told them not to say anything, it was free game when it came to the group. The girls never had any secrets between each other. Well, until now, it seemed.

"Me too," Ally responded, "She texted me about ten minutes ago to say that she was on the way, but that's one missing member that's accounted for." 

The room fell silent. Dinah watched Normani as she suddenly became interested in the hem of her shirt. Ally made an uncomfortable face, then exhaled heavily. 

"Did you guys hear Camila's song?" Dinah asked since someone was bound to bring it up, so she might as well be the first one to do so. 

Normani made eye contact with her, "Did we  _hear_  the song? No, we barely even heard  _about_  it, and by barely, I mean we didn't know about it at all."

"You should ask Mila if you could listen to it, I'm sure it would make her really happy," Dinah said, defending her best friend.

"It would have made me really happy to have known about it. I wouldn't be ticked right now if she had told us about it," Normani responded, "We've been with her every day for the past four months and she couldn't bother to mention it? Not once? It's kind of shady."

Dinah frowned, "She was probably just scared that we'd think she was trying to go solo or something. I talked to her last night about it and she said it was a spontaneous decision to record and release the song because her and Shawn were proud of it." 

They were interrupted by the door to the studio opening and closing. Camila walked in with a giant grin on her face, and Dinah's heartbeat began racing because this was the first time she'd seen Mila in a couple weeks. She wanted to run up and hug her, but something was holding her back. 

"Hey guys," Camila said sweetly, "Dinah made it here before me? What a miracle."

Normani ignored her quip, "Camila, Chris wants you to record a part for this song we've been working on today. He wants to try you on the second verse of the song."

"Okay," Camila said, confused, "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing," Ally answered, "We're all just a little tired from flying in." 

Camila nodded, then headed over to recording area of the studio where there producers were hanging out. When she was in the booth with her headphones on, Dinah turned her attention back to the other girls.

"What the hell? If you guys had a problem with her and the song, why didn't you tell her about it so everyone could talk it out?" Dinah said, "If we let the situation sit then we're all going to blow up about it later."

"If she wanted to talk about the song, she would have told us about it," Normani replied, clearly hurt, "Anyway, I don't want to talk about this anymore. We need to get a lot of tracks done today because our team is betting on a mid-spring release." 

Ally agreed, "Let's act like nothing is out of the ordinary and put our best efforts into recording today. We've got this girls!"

Sometime later, Lauren finally showed up, exhausted from her flight back to Los Angeles. She had no idea what had transpired between the girls earlier, and to Dinah's knowledge, Lauren didn't have a clue that Camila was doing a solo song with Shawn. Dinah kept calming herself throughout the day, hating when tension popped up between her and her friends. The girls were like her sisters, so listening to them fight and be angry with each other broke her heart.

For the entirety of the session, the girls kept to themselves, playing on their phones or resting their eyes when they were out of the booth. They had recorded five separate songs in one day, each one completely different from another, and these sessions were starting to wear on them. When Dinah and Camila were out of the booth at the same, Dinah sat on the couch next to her best friend, resting her head on her shoulder.

"Dinah?" Camila asked in a hushed tone, her voice soft from singing too much.

Dinah shifted her eyes up to Camila, "Yeah, Walz?" 

"The other girls aren't mad at me, are they?" Camila questioned, sadness heavy in her tone.

"Why would they be?" Dinah asked, because honestly, she was asking herself the same question.

Camila said, "I don't know, it just seems like Normani and Ally were upset with me today. Maybe they're just tired, jet lag can be pretty brutal, especially when we have an early call time." 

"That's probably it, don't overthink it," Dinah assured her, reaching up to kiss her on the cheek. 

Dinah wanted to protect Camila for as long as she could. 


	3. three

The state of the group only went down from there. The girls were obviously upset, expressing to Dinah that they felt like Camila had betrayed their trust. Dinah sympathized for them, constantly asking them to just talk to Camila about what had happened, but they had refused. 

"If she wanted to talk to me about it, she could have told me when it happened," Ally had stated one night on the phone. The girls were currently on break for the winter holidays. 

Dinah sighed, "Ally, I know what she did really hurt you, but I guarantee you she was probably doing it to protect us. She thought we'd be mad at her." Dinah said, not knowing if that was the whole truth or not, but she still felt obligated to stick up for her best friend.

"Look where that got us!" Ally exclaimed, "Dinah, we haven't said one word to each other in a few weeks. Normani can't even look at her anymore. Do you remember the last time Lauren laughed at one of her jokes? Because I don't." 

"We can fix it," Dinah pleaded, trying to calm Ally down, "We've made it this far, we've gone through so much together. I can't speak for Camila completely, but we know her, we know her heart. She would never, ever intentionally hurt one of us." 

Dinah thought, would she ever hurt us? but she pushed it to the back of her mind. 

Ally was quiet for a second, then spoke, completely defeated, "I feel like I don't even know who she is anymore." 

A few days later, Dinah heard that same phrase reiterated to her when she was facetiming Normani. For the second time that week, one of Dinah's band mates sat in front of her, tears spilling down her cheeks as she rambled about what was going on. 

"I feel like we've never known her, Dinah. What if she's never been the person we thought she was? What if she's been planning to backdoor us and leave the group all of this time? This was supposed to be for the long haul," Normani ranted between sobs.

"Have you tried talking to her about it?" Dinah asked, but she already knew the answer.

Normani stopped, shaking her head, "I can't even look at her Dinah. I don't want to, it hurts to think our entire friendship could have been completely one sided."

"I know, but don't you think she's just as upset and confused? You guys basically shut her out and won't even give her a chance to explain anything. If we could all just talk it out, maybe we could fix it. We're Fifth Harmony, we've conquered so much in the short period of time we've been in the industry. I'm not ready for this to be over yet, we've never been the types to throw in the towel and I don't want to start now. Can you please talk to her? Normani, she's hurt too. As much as you guys want to convince yourselves she's some type of evil mastermind, she really isn't, and you'd know that if you'd communicate," Dinah said, huffing out a breath. 

On the computer screen, Normani sat completely stunned. For the first time in a long while, Dinah had gotten frustrated and lashed out on one of her friends. She immediately regretted it, but everything she said was true. The girls were acting childish right now, and she yearned for them to get along. 

Normani inhaled deeply, then said, "I've got to go, Dinah. I'll talk to you later." 

She hung up without saying goodbye.


	4. four

When the winter break was over, all of the girls got together to film a music video for their lead single, Work From Home. The tension didn't seem to subdue at all, and while the negative energy was getting everyone else down, Dinah tried to make the best of it. They'd been up since early in the morning, freezing out in the middle of nowhere, and even Ally was complaining under these conditions. Dinah, however, tried to stay positive.

"I don't think I've ever been this excited about a song before," Dinah said, trying to start up a conversation with the other three girls. Currently,Ally was filming a solo part of the music video outside. The other girls were huddling for warmth in their bus. Lauren and Normani were laying next to each other on the couch while Dinah sat next to Camila. They weren't close though, Camila kept her distance and sat on the far end of the couch, her headphones in and a blanket wrapped around her legs. 

"I'd be more excited if it weren't ten degrees outside," Lauren exaggerated. 

No one else spoke. Normani was messing around on her phone, still avoiding Dinah because of their blowout a couple weeks ago. Dinah hadn't talked to her since, and even Lauren was a bit weary of her. Lauren and Normani were super close, so Dinah knew they had talked about what was going on. Dinah silently wished for the times where their were no secrets between any of them. 

Eventually, Lauren got called out to record a part for the video, and Camila followed a while after. Normani and Dinah were left on the bus, the sun creeping up behind the shades of the windows and the heat blasting to its maximum by this point. The room was still as tense as ever, and Dinah couldn't handle it anymore.

"Normani, can we please talk about this and get over it? Neither of us have ever been mad at each other, we always talk it out and move on," Dinah pleaded, her tone frustrated. 

"Fine," Normani responded, putting her phone down and crossing her arms to signify that she was waiting for Dinah to start.

Dinah exhaled, "Listen, Mani, I know you're upset. I think everyone is, but we've always said if there was a problem, we could talk it out and move on from things. I really think you need to do that with Mila. Yes, she may have messed up, but you never even gave her the chance to explain herself."

"Don't you get it? I don't want to talk about it. Like I said, if she wanted to tell any of us about the song, she would have. I'm not mad at you, Dinah. You didn't do anything wrong, but don't defend her when you have to know deep down that what she did was wrong."

Dinah bit her lip hesitantly, then said, "Maybe it was, but that doesn't mean I turn my back on her when she's obviously upset. Mani, she's not even excited to record songs anymore. She cries during interviews, and we're doing nothing to stop it." 

"She made her bed, she can lie in it," Normani said with hurt written all over her face, "Let's not talk about this anymore. We're shooting probably the biggest video of our career and I really don't want to be in a bad mood." 

Dinah agreed, and after that, it was like nothing had changed between them. The girls eventually went out on set and gushed over how hot the male dancers were. Normani and Dinah had always bonded over cute boys, but Dinah had always kept her mouth shut when it came to Camila. It was always easier for her to pretend to like chiseled, buff men than be in love with her best friend. If it was hard for Dinah to mention her crush before all of this drama had started, it was impossible now. 

The shoot wrapped up after the sun had fallen down once again, and all of the girls were completely exhausted. They all piled into a bus for the ride back to their hotel, wiped clean of their makeup and dressed in comfortable clothes. Dinah sat by the window, and Camila was squished next to her, her soft cheek pressed into Dinah's shoulder. Camila had her headphones in, and sad music was barely audible from where Dinah was sitting. 

Dinah watched the trees and street lights pass by outside, and she wondered how much longer she'd be able to keep the girl she loved on her shoulder. Rumors were flying of a possible Fifth Harmony split, and Dinah knew firsthand that there was a rift in the group's dynamic. Dinah had been trying her best to keep her girls together, but it didn't seem to be working. Maybe if Dinah could convince Camila to talk to the other girls, things might be able to work out, but life doesn't always work out the way people want it to. 


	5. five

Dinah lost all hope in mending what was lost in late January. Supposed leaked Facebook messages were released on Twitter, and it wasn't long until news got back to the other girls. When Dinah had seen them, her first thought was that Camila would never, ever say anything like she did in those screenshots, but the other girls had started to believe it for themselves.

"Has she been planning her solo act since day one?" Ally asked during a three way skype session between her, Dinah, and Normani.

Normani scoffed, "It really wouldn't surprise me. If she was willing to go behind our backs to record solo songs then who's to say this hasn't been her plan all along?"

"Don't you guys think this is all a little too perfect though?" Dinah asked, "I know the messages are shocking, but they fit exactly what people on twitter have been saying. Isn't it all just a little too...perfectly constructed?"

Ally stared at her, then said, "You know, I think Dinah has a point. Let's all calm down and think about this rationally. Camila couldn't have been that good of an actor, right? I mean, I thought she genuinely loved us for all of these years."

"That's true," Normani said reluctantly, "Plus, in the messages, she says that Camren was a ploy set up by the X Factor for views, which all of us can attest to and say that isn't true at all."

Dinah exhaled a sigh of relief, "It's weird that this information pops up right at the time other people are saying these same exact things. Have either of you even talked to her about this, or anything at all?"

The other girls' silence answered her question.

"I didn't think so," Dinah said, "I've got to go, I'll talk to you guys later."

After Dinah said her salutations to the girls, she sent Camila a quick text.

 **Dinah | 8:26 PM**  
you still in la?

 **Camila | 8:27 PM**  
yeah, i'm just hanging out in my hotel room.

 **Dinah | 8:27 PM**  
mind if i come over?

 **Camila | 8:28 PM**  
of course not. i'll send you the address.

After Camila had sent Dinah the address to her hotel, Dinah packed an overnight bag and let her family know where she was going before she took off. When they finally let her out of their sight, Dinah walked to the nearest bus stop and took a ride to where Camila's hotel was located. On the ride there, she put her headphones in and stared out the window, butterflies filling her stomach with anticipation.

When Dinah reached her destination, she walked the remaining distance from the bus stop to Camila's hotel. She silently hoped no one would recognize her along the way because she felt rushed, anxious even. Camila and Dinah had spent nights together many times before, but somehow Dinah felt different, like maybe her time to tell Camila how she felt was running out.

Thankfully no one had stopped Dinah during her journey to the hotel. Dinah bypassed the front desk and was careful not to make eye contact with anyone. She caught an open elevator and took it up to the floor Camila told her she'd be staying on.

The doors opened and Dinah stepped off the elevator, following the signs to try and locate Camila's hotel room. When she finally found it, she knocked on the door twice and waited. Dinah heard Camila's light footsteps on the carpet, and then the opening of the hotel room door.

"Hey, I thought you got lost or something," Camila teased, "I ordered room service and I've got The Notebook in the DVD player if you want to watch that."

"Damn, I really wasn't in the mood to cry tonight, but anything for you, Walz," Dinah said, letting herself into the hotel room. Camila was already in her pajamas, her hair wet, and she was wearing her glasses. Dinah thought she looked breathtaking.

Camila shrugged, "Yeah, well, I'm always in the mood to be emotionally destroyed by a romance I'm not even a part of. Crying with you isn't as pathetic as crying to a sad movie alone," Camila said, giving Dinah an adorable smile.

"I'm so glad you were still in town," Dinah confessed, "Otherwise you'd be off crying by yourself somewhere and I'd be answering your call at midnight sobbing over the movie."

"We can experience the pain together," Camila replied, dramatically holding her hand over her chest and pretending to sob.

Dinah rolled her eyes, "You're such a dork."

"Okay, but you still love me though," Camila answered, batting her eyelashes behind her glasses. 

"Don't be too sure about that," Dinah teased, her heart pounding, "Hey, while we wait for the food, I'm going to change into my pajamas and take my makeup off."

Camila nodded, "Go ahead, I'll be waiting."

While Dinah was changing in the bathroom, she heard someone knock on the door and assumed it was the delivery person. She heard Camila talking to the person at the door, being as polite and sweet as ever, and Dinah wondered if things could always be like this. Dinah wanted to know how much longer she had Camila for, and if there would be a day where all of this would end. Dinah pushed the thought out of her mind, and decided to live in the moment and see where it took them.

Dinah exited the bathroom after she'd changed into a pair of shorts and a tee shirt. Camila was already sitting cross legged on the bed, a paper plate in her lap with a slice of pizza on it. Dinah smiled at her best friend, shoving her dirty clothes into her bag before going to get food for herself.

"The funniest thing just happened," Camila said, "The delivery guy recognized me and we took selfies. I think he would have sharted if I told him you were in the room with me," Camila joked.

"Aww, you should have had him wait so I could have met him," Dinah responded, pouting as she headed toward the table with the pizza box on it.

"He told me he was rushed already and that he would basically lose his job if his boss found out he was taking pictures with people while in uniform, so just meeting me was a huge risk," Camila answered, "It's a pretty stupid rule if you ask me."

"It is, they probably don't want it to reflect on the company if the pictures ever get out," Dinah said, putting a piece of pizza on her plate.

Camila sighed, "Yeah, unfortunately I know quite a bit about that." 

Dinah looked at Camila, and her heart broke for her. For the first time that night, Dinah noticed how truly tired and broken Camila appeared. Sure, some of that could be attributed to a lack of makeup, but even when Camila was completely barefaced, her skin was flawless. Now, Dinah could see dark circles under her eyes, and a few pimples had popped up, more than likely from stress. Dinah wanted to run over and hug her best friend to let her know everything would be okay, but she didn't want to smother her or make it worse somehow.

"Mila, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to bring it up, but what's being said online about you right now is horrific," Dinah sympathized, carrying her plate over to the bed.

"Don't even get me started on that," Camila replied, blinking rapidly behind her glasses, "You don't believe those screenshots, do you? You don't think I'm a snake or a liar or a bad person?"

Dinah sat her pizza down on the end table, then crawled onto the bed, grabbing Camila in her arms and holding tight. Camila sobbed, and Dinah's shirt dampened from the tears that stained Camila's cheeks.

As she cried, Dinah consoled her, "I would never think badly of you. Don't let these people get to you, Mila, they don't know you like we do. Your heart is so incredibly big and your passion for music is unbelievable. Your intentions are always good, you always go out of your way for everyone else and you're allowed to do things for yourself."

"Everyone is calling me selfish, they're making up rumors and fake screenshots and they're saying I never cared about you girls or the group," Camila managed to get out, pulling away from Dinah, "I never meant to hurt anyone, I just wanted to put this song that I made out into the world. I didn't want to leave."

Dinah cocked her head to the right, "You didn't?"

"Well, how am I supposed to stay in a group where everyone hates me, Dinah? You're the only one who still cares about me at all. When the cameras are off and no one is watching, the girls act like I'm not even there, so why don't I just leave?" Camila asked.

"I'll be damned if I let one collaboration and a couple of losers on the internet tear this group apart, tear  _you_  apart," Dinah stated, grabbing Camila's hand, "I love you, Camila, and I don't know what I would do without you in this group. You keep me grounded, you're the sunshine on a rainy day, and we'd never be Fifth Harmony without you. Please don't leave. This shit will blow over once people find someone else to attack, I promise, but you just have to stay strong like you always do," Dinah said, running her thumb over Camila's hand. 

Camila wiped her eyes with her free hand, "You always know how to bring me back to reality."

"That's what best friends are for," Dinah said, smiling weakly. 

Camila hugged Dinah, holding her tight, then she pulled back, looking over to the television.

"I'm so sad that I don't even want to watch sad movies anymore," Camila said, then they started laughing.

"Wanna just eat and go to bed?" Dinah asked, picking up her forgotten slice of pizza.

Camila nodded, wiping the rest of her face with the sleeve of her shirt, "That sounds really great, actually. I need a good night's sleep after these day long recording sessions and the promotional performances with Shawn."

"You're so dedicated, I don't know anyone else in this group that would come back to LA on our first break in a while just to hang out. Everyone else is back home," Dinah said.

"It's not like my family isn't here," Camila responded, "They went out tonight but I didn't feel like joining them. They're in the room next to me, so don't get any ideas," Camila teased, and suddenly, Dinah's goofy best friend was back.

Dinah squinted her eyes at Camila and said, "Girl, you wish."

They talked until they managed to eat half of the pizza Camila ordered, then they covered themselves with the hotel bedding. Dinah watched with her head propped on her hand as Camila reached over and turned off the bedside lamp, the light of the moon the only thing illuminating the room. Camila turned around and made herself comfortable, catching Dinah staring at her, even in the dark.

"What?" Camila asked.

"Nothing," Dinah said, "You're just pretty."

Camila tried not to smile, but Dinah could see her fighting it off in the dark, "You don't have to be nice to me because I'm sad."

"I'm not, I'm nice to you because I love you," Dinah responded.

"I love you more," Camila said, "Now cuddle me to prove it."

Camila turned over so she faced away from Dinah. Once she stopped stirring, Dinah cuddled up to her best friend, wrapping one leg around Camila's, and holding her in her arms. Dinah didn't know how long this would last, but this moment was enough for her right now.


	6. six

From that point on, life got better between the girls. Camila had stayed up with Normani one night while they were putting the finishing touches on their album and they cleared the air. Dinah eavesdropped from afar, unable to stop smiling to herself as her friends mended what was broken. Lauren and Camila had a three hour long phone call where they expressed their grievances, and they seemed to be doing okay as well. Ally, however, took some convincing, but eventually, she and Camila made peace. 

Everything was going extremely well. Dinah and the girls had finished their next album, which would be titled after the day they were formed on the X Factor almost four years ago. They had just announced the album online and released the music video for their lead single. It was early in the morning still, but it had already been a busy day full of interviews and talking about their new musical direction. It was like a fairytale. 

Besides the excitement of having new music out in the world, Dinah was extremely happy to see her friends getting along again. Today, Normani and Camila were rapping Nicki Minaj's 'Moment 4 Life' while they were waiting for an interview to start. Camila told a bad joke during an interview, and afterward they all laughed about it. For the first time in a while, things were looking up for the group. 

"How happy are you?" An interviewer asked late that morning. 

All of the girls smiled. Dinah looked at her four best friends, admiring the genuine happiness on their faces. Well, all except Camila's. Dinah couldn't help but notice that Camila looked exhausted and her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Sure, things weren't perfect, but Dinah had assumed that Camila might be happier now. 

She wasn't. 

"We're so excited for this rebirth of Fifth Harmony," Normani said, speaking for the rest of them.

It wasn't until they were back in the car that Dinah realized Camila had stayed silent for the rest of the interview. They were on their way to another studio for interviews, and the girls were all buzzing with energy. Ally and Normani kept singing along to the radio while Lauren laughed at them, recording videos of them for her Snapchat. 

Dinah was sitting in the back with Camila, who was resting her head on the window, earbuds in. With a bit of hesitation, Dinah tapped Camila on the shoulder. The girl opened her eyes, looking at Dinah and taking one of her earbuds out. 

"What?" Camila asked.

"Nothing, you've just been quiet today," Dinah responded, feeling like she had bothered Camila, "Is there something wrong?" 

 Camila shook her head, "No, just tired."

"Have you been getting enough sleep?" Dinah remembered spending the night with Camila a couple weeks back and how she kept waking up in the middle of the night. 

"Yeah, when I can, anyway," Camila answered, "I'm probably just worn out from interviews today, we had a pretty early call time and it's been such an overwhelming experience." 

"It has been, I can't believe we're releasing the first song off of our second album," Dinah remarked, being hit by a wave of nostalgia, "I never thought we'd make one album, let alone two. I don't ever want this to end."

Camila stayed silent, then said softly, "All dreams come to an end." 

Dinah raised her eyebrow at her best friend, "That's really cynical coming from the girl who basically breathes fairytales and love stories. Is everything okay, Mila?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

Dinah shrugged, questioning if she was being too paranoid or reading into things too much. 

"Everything is fine," Camila said, putting her earbud back into her ear to signify that the conversation was over. 

Defeated, Dinah turned away from her best friend and slumped against the seat. She had tried to reach out to Camila and figure out if something was wrong, but Camila had seemed angry that Dinah would even ask. Sure, maybe giving Camila the third degree when she already looked upset probably wasn't the best thing for Dinah to do, but she wanted her friend to know that she was concerned about her. Somehow, Dinah had made it worse by bringing it up, and she hated knowing that.

...

A few days later, the girls were still doing rounds for their promotional interviews. After that initial day, Camila's mood seemed to get better. Today, the girls sat around a table at Seacrest Studios to promote their song and the album. 

When the interviewer, Ryan, had mentioned the rumors about a band breakup in the near future, Camila was the first to speak out and remind him of the fact that they were together now to promote their new song. Dinah had tried to hide her grin, silently happy to know Camila had rushed to defend the group from the rumors. 

Today was their last day doing promotion together as a group. The girls were being dispersed around the country to promote the song separately. Dinah had feared that this might drive a wedge between them further, but as she listened to the other girls talk, they were pretty bummed that they had to be by themselves for the next few days. Dinah was glad to they all shared the same qualms as she did. 

"I'm going to miss you guys so much," Camila expressed when they were back in the car, "It's so weird being out there by myself, it doesn't feel right." 

No one else spoke, so Dinah stepped in, "I get that. When I perform with my mom back home, knowing that I'm on stage without four other girls is so strange to me." 

"Right, like who's going to laugh with me when I make a joke?" Camila said.

"Mila, no one is going to laugh, and trust me, that's not any different from when you're with us," Normani joked, and the rest of the girls laughed. 

Camila rolled her eyes, but she was grinning, "Okay but Lauren always laughs at my jokes, no matter how stupid they are. How am I going to survive without that for three days?" 

"Just get in the same mindset you were in when you were out doing interviews with Shawn," Ally responded, sounding more sarcastic than she intended. When she saw Camila's smile fade, Ally backtracked, "I didn't mean it like that, Camila. We agreed to put all of this drama behind us." 

Pursing her lips together, Camila replied, "You know, I thought we did too, but I guess not. If it was behind us, you still wouldn't be making snide remarks about it."

A few tense seconds passed, then Normani spoke up, "Guys, we've been through this. We talked it out, and we're fine now. Let it go." 

"I would let it go but it seems like some people can't," Camila answered, crossing her arms over her chest. 

"Why is it a shock that maybe I'm not over it? You can't just say sorry and pretend like you didn't go behind our backs, lie to our faces, and launch your own career without even having the audacity to tell any of us. Sorry that kind of betrayal doesn't heal overnight," Ally said, her jaw clenched. Dinah hadn't seen Ally this angry or upset in weeks.

Camila quietly said, "Is that how you really feel? Is that how all of you feel?" 

The car was silent. Dinah wanted to speak out and try to mend them back together like she always did, but the timing didn't feel right. Camila was wiping tears from her eyes, Lauren was staring out the window, Normani messed with her hands, and Ally had gotten out her phone. None of the girls dared to look at each other, but Dinah studied all of them, wondering when they'd become so broken. 

When Camila had dried her eyes, she sniffled and said, "You guys don't have to answer because your silence is enough."


	7. seven

Coincidentally, Camila's birthday landed on the last day of the girls' separated promotion for the song. Since she had been in Fifth Harmony, Camila had never spent a birthday without her four best friends, but this year was different. She was in Detroit, Michigan doing interviews, talking about the song and the band. 

Since the big blowout the week before, Camila's relationship with the girls had been strained. Camila had learned that her current standing with the girls was equivalent to taking one step forward and moonwalking backwards, because as soon as she thought they were starting to become okay again, there was a huge fight. 

She hadn't spoken to any of them besides Dinah for the last seven days. Dinah, the only member of the group that didn't seem to have a vendetta against Camila, had texted her a couple times, asking her how she was doing. Camila appreciated Dinah's concern, she really did, but she never wanted anyone to know something was wrong with her. She didn't want anyone to care about her well being anymore.

So whenever someone asked Camila how she was doing, she plastered on a sugary sweet smile and pretended to be happy until her mouth got sore.

The fact that this was still going on for Camila's birthday really bummed her out. Every year she was showered with love by her friends, family, and bandmates, but this year she was completely alone, thousands of miles away from home. The only member of the band to acknowledge her was Dinah, who she'd had an hour long phone call with this morning. They had talked about missing each other and reminisced about the time Dinah shared her birthday with Camila, and Camila wanted nothing more than to be cuddling with Dinah right now. Dinah was the only one who had made the effort to talk to her and understand what was going on. 

The other girls sort of gave her attention on social media. Normani and Ally sent out tweets that didn't really mean anything special, and Lauren posted videos of her singing Marilyn Monroe's rendition of Happy Birthday. Camila yearned for the well thought out, gushy Instagram posts they used to write for each other on their birthdays, but deep down she knew she wouldn't be getting one this year. 

Camila had started reading tweets about herself again, and while there were a lot of positive birthday messages, Camila had stumbled upon tweets from fans, talking about the lack of birthday posts. One even said, 'if they don't write posts for Camila, then you know they must hate her.' Camila couldn't stop thinking about it. 

Reading mean comments from people on Twitter shouldn't be as addicting as Camila thought they were. On one hand, she was completely afraid to even go online because her mentions were always flooded with people calling her a snake. On the other, she was obsessed with knowing what everyone was thinking about her. She spent hours reading through horrible tweets until she wholeheartedly believed everything these people were saying. Camila knew it was pathetic, but she couldn't stop. 

Camila's mother always told her not to worry about it, that she was too anxious for her own good, but Camila couldn't help it when it felt like everyone was against her.

Except for Dinah, that is. 

In the group, Camila had always been closest to Dinah. Something about their friendship just clicked, and at this point in time, their bond was the only one that hadn't been broken. Dinah was a caring person, always the mediator whenever the girls fought about shower times and other things that seemed so far away now. Dinah wanted everyone to be happy, and Camila loved her for that. 

Sometimes Camila wondered if she loved Dinah in more ways than one, but she always pushed that thought to the back of her mind whenever it popped up. Besides, Camila doubted that anything romantic could ever happen between them, considering Dinah had never shown signs of being anything but straight, and it would cause an even bigger rift in the group if they ever got involved. So Camila just bit her tongue and ignored the electricity in her veins every time Dinah was around. 

Later that night, Camila texted Dinah while she was at the airport, ready to go back to LA. 

**Camila | 8:56 PM**

You owe me a birthday cake when I get back to California

**Dinah | 8:56 PM**

Do I have to wear a bikini and jump out of it?

Camila laughed out loud in the quiet airport, receiving odd looks from the surrounding passengers. 

Camila | 8:57 PM

It's not a surprise if you already tell me about it

**Dinah | 8:57 PM**

Damn, you caught me

As Camila was typing her response, her flight got called on the speaker system. 

**Camila | 8:58 PM**

What a shame. Hey, I'm about to board the plane. Save a spot for me at your house?

**Dinah | 8:58 PM**

You got it. Need me and Kimmy to pick you up?

**Camila | 8:59 PM**

Yes please, thanks DJ

**Dinah | 9:00 PM**

No problem, love you Walz

**Camila | 9:00 PM**

Love you more, I can't wait to see you

Camila smiled to herself as she put her phone away, ready to reunite with the only person she had left. 


	8. eight

Surprisingly, Dinah and Kimmy kept their promise of waiting for Camila. Camila knew that Dinah never broke her promises, but still, she really didn't expect them to drive out to LA late at night to come pick her up. It made Camila sad in a nice kind of way, where she was shocked that people would love her enough to go out of their way for her. 

Time with Dinah and her family was always fun, so Camila was glad that Dinah was letting her crash at her place until all of the girls met up again. Dinah and Kimmy blasted music all the way home, and all of the girls sang their hearts out to whatever was on the radio. Camila was completely carefree as she yelled out the lyrics to her favorite songs, windows letting in the cool California air, and the street lights glaring into the interior of the car. It was magical. 

Dinah had sat in the back with Camila, holding her hand every time one of Camila's favorite songs happened to come on the radio. They'd squeeze each other's hands as they sang loudly, and Camila couldn't help but feel her affection growing. Maybe it was the jet lag or the rare happiness, but Camila couldn't let go of the feeling that she wanted Dinah to hold her hand forever. 

The girls freaked out when 'Work From Home' came on the radio. Camila and Dinah sang their parts as if they were on stage, and Kimmy laughed as Dinah mimicked the dance moves from the backseat. Dinah kept cracking up, and Camila wished she could listen to Dinah's laughter on repeat. 

Some time later, Camila's song with Shawn started playing on the radio. When Camila heard the opening notes, she became anxious, but then Dinah started singing along to the music, and Camila was okay again.

"You know the words to my song?" Camila yelled over the loud music. 

Dinah furrowed her eyebrows at Camila, then asked, "Of course, why wouldn't I?" 

Camila sat, stunned, then shrugged, "I don't know, I assumed you didn't listen to it. That really means a lot to me, Dinah." 

"I love you, Walz, I'm always going to support everything you do," Dinah admitted, squeezing her best friend's hand, "Now sing your parts and I'll sing Shawn's!"

For the rest of the drive back to Dinah's house, they continued to goof off and sing at the top of their lungs. Camila couldn't stop grinning the whole way there because she knew Dinah actually listened to words that she had written herself, words she'd poured her heart and soul into. Camila highly doubted any of the other girls heard a song, let alone knew all the words to it, yet Dinah took the time to support her. Nothing could make Camila happier.

They arrived at Dinah's house at around midnight, and they were all worn out from the drive home. They tried to be quiet as they entered the dark house, but Camila tripped over the rug by the front door, and Dinah bust out laughing. Kimmy kept shushing them, but she was laughing too. 

Camila thanked Kimmy for coming to pick her up, and Dinah gave her cousin a hug goodnight. They parted their ways, Kimmy going to retire to her bed, and Camila followed Dinah back to her bedroom, suitcase in hand. 

"I am so glad that I packed extra pajamas. I was just going to wear them again if I ended up staying at a hotel," Camila whispered in the hallway, and Dinah scrunched up her nose.

"Nasty. I'm sure my mom will be more than happy to wash your clothes. Just make sure she doesn't mix up your socks with anyone else's, it happens more often than you think," Dinah responded.

Camila nodded, and Dinah stopped in front of her, opening her bedroom door. Camila used to stay with Dinah a lot while the girls were in California. Dinah's family had always been super welcoming and always enjoyed Camila's company, declaring her an honorary member of the family. They made her feel at home when she was so far removed from Miami. 

Dinah's room was small, with a full size bed that had zebra sheets on it. Posters of various celebrities hung on the wall, making it very obvious that her room hadn't been redecorated since Dinah was about fifteen years old. Camila always loved the room, because for a while they weren't Dinah Jane Hansen and Camila Cabello from a world famous girl band, but instead, they were just two best friends having a sleepover. 

"As much as I'd love to stay up and party some more, I'm gonna put my pajamas on," Camila said, setting her suitcase on the ground and unzipping it. 

"Okay, just change wherever you want. I'm gonna put my pajamas on in here so don't look unless you wanna go blind," Dinah remarked, opening up one of her drawers.

Camila rolled her eyes, joking, "When did Dinah Jane become so insecure?"

"Insecure? Oh hell no," Dinah said, "I meant you'd go blind because my body is too bangin'."

They laughed, and Camila took her pajamas out of her suitcase. She went to the bathroom, changed, and when she went back to Dinah's room, Dinah was already under her covers, messing around on her phone. 

"I thought I was gonna fall asleep by time you came back," Dinah said, locking her phone and putting it on the end table. 

"Shut up," Camila responded, climbing into bed next to Dinah, "I'm so tired that changing my clothes felt like running a marathon. The only thing that could fix it would be some Dinah cuddles." 

Dinah moved closer to her, intertwining their legs together, "I thought you'd never ask."

Camila cuddled into Dinah, her back pressed against Dinah's chest, and Dinah wrapped her arm around her best friend. Camila was tired, but she and Dinah started talking about everything. First they reminisced about the X Factor, when Camila's cheeks were chubby and Dinah's hair was dark brown. They talked about how much they've changed and how they'd always be friends, and eventually, when there was a lull in the conversation, Camila heard Dinah snoring softly next to her. Soon after Camila fell asleep as well, the two of them breathing together in perfect harmony.


	9. nine

"Are you serious?" Camila asked that morning when she wandered into the kitchen to see Dinah's whole family sitting around the kitchen table, a huge cake and dozens of cupcakes sitting in front of them. 

"Of course we are, happy birthday, my sweet girl," Dinah's mom, Milika, said, embracing Camila in a large hug. 

When she pulled back, Camila grinned gracefully, trying to hold back any sign of tears, "You guys are so wonderful to me, I really wasn't expecting this." 

"You deserve it," Dinah's little sister, Regina, said, "Plus, we needed an excuse to eat cake." 

"Regina!" Milika, scolded, then she rolled her eyes, "Ignore her. Now let's cut into this cake before Dinah wakes up."

Milika cut the cake while all of Dinah's younger cousins stood around the kitchen table, anxious to get a slice of the dessert. Milika cut Camila a hefty piece, winking at her as she handed her the paper plate. Camila grabbed a plastic fork off of the kitchen table, and sat cross legged on a couch in Dinah's living room. As the rest of Dinah's family members came and sat with her, Camila couldn't feel more at home if she tried.

Camila listened to Dinah's family talk to each other loudly, telling stories that made Camila crack up laughing. They also became very interested in teasing Dinah, asking if she snored on the bus like she did at home (she did) and if she was as messy as she was at home (she was). There wasn't a dull moment between them, because Camila felt like she belonged, and that's something she had been missing for a very long time. 

After they'd had cake for breakfast, Camila played with Dinah's siblings, Regina and Seth. Regina had brought her dollhouse out to the living room, begging Camila to play with her Fifth Harmony dolls. 

"Here's you," Regina said, shoving Camila's plastic replica at her.

Camila squinted her eyes, "Are you sure I should be Camila? I don't think I could do her justice."

Regina giggled, and Camila took the doll from her, playing along with Regina's fantasy. Seth had joined in, crashing his monster trucks into dolls whenever he could. Camila was overwhelmed with sadness as she remembered playing dolls with Sofi back home. Even though she was homesick, being with Dinah's siblings made her feel alright for the moment. 

"There's Sleeping Beauty!" Gordon, Dinah's dad, exclaimed. 

Camila turned around to see Dinah standing in the kitchen, her blonde hair a mess. She was still wearing her pajamas, a pair of shorts and a camisole, and Camila was a bit breathless. She'd seen Dinah like this a million times before, but for some reason, Camila's heart was beating a little faster than normal. 

Milika scoffed jokingly, "More like the Walking Dead." 

Dinah scowled at her mom, then smiled, kissing her on the cheek to say good morning. Dinah didn't question the birthday supplies on the table, but instead cut herself a piece of cake and made her way to the living room. 

"Morning, Dinah," Camila said, still sitting on the floor with Regina and Seth, "Your family threw me a surprise party for my birthday." 

"They're the best," Dinah responded, shoveling a piece of cake in her mouth, "Get dressed and ready, I have something special planned today for your birthday." 

Camila's eyes widened, "What is it?"

"If I tell you, you won't be surprised," Dinah said, "You're so impatient." 

"You just love to tease me," Camila responded.

"Yes I do," Dinah answered, "Now hurry, go get dressed in something really nice and comfortable. Mom said she'd wash your clothes for you while we're gone so you don't have to worry about it." 

With a nod, Camila got up and went to thank Milika for her hospitality before she got changed. When Camila got back to Dinah's room, she changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top, leaving her hair how it usually was. She applied a little bit of makeup so she wouldn't look like a total mess, and after she strapped a pair of sandals on, she returned to the kitchen. 

Dinah went into her room when Camila came out of it. While Camila waited for Dinah to get ready, she tried to squeeze the secret out of Milika, but she didn't budge. Camila was still going strong with her pleading by time Dinah appeared, her blonde hair straightened around her tan shoulders. 

"Ready?" Dinah asked. 

Camila nodded, waving goodbye to Milika, who was staring at the two girls with a smug expression on her face.  

Leading the way, Dinah held the front door open for Camila, then she headed toward the garage. There were two bicycles, one blue and one red, leaning upright in a bicycle rack that looked like it had been recently moved to its current spot in the garage. 

Camila crossed her arms over her chest, "You're taking my clumsy ass for a bike ride?"

"Maybe," Dinah said, "Which one do you want, blue or red?"

"Red, because I know blue is your favorite color and you'll get all pouty if I take that one," Camila answered, guiding the red bicycle out of the rack. 

Dinah rolled her eyes, "Okay, but you love it when I get pouty." 

"I do, pouty Dinah Jane is so adorable," Camila confessed, straddling the bicycle, "Lead the way, captain, I'm following you since I have no idea where the surprise is." 

Dinah boarded her bike and started peddling, then Camila followed short after. They went slow down the California sidewalks, the warm March breeze whipping through their hair. Something as simple as riding a bicycle in a small neighborhood made Camila feel so alive and normal, like she wasn't famous or in the world's biggest girl group. 

With Dinah especially, Camila never had to pretend to be someone else. Here they were, wearing hardly any makeup and comfortable clothes, biking down the streets without a care in the world. There were no fans, no cameras, no pressures to be completely held together and perfect, and with Dinah, it was okay. Camila was okay, she dared to think that in this moment, she was even happy. 

Happiness wasn't present in Camila's life anymore. Everyday, she felt like her body was buried in sand and she couldn't move. Her mind was racing constantly, her hands kept shaking, and she was at her lowest point. Camila's friends hated her and so did the majority of the fans, and Camila couldn't help but think that it was entirely her fault. It was something wrong with her.

But in this moment, nothing was wrong. She and Dinah were just two best friends, enjoying the nice weather on a late winter day. Camila felt freed from her depression, and once she got a taste of this freedom, she wanted more of it. 

"Keep going, we're almost there!" Dinah shouted from up ahead, taking a turn toward a more wooded area.

Camila followed, biking behind her until Dinah started to slow down. They were approaching a seemingly abandoned playground, with a couple swings and a set of monkey bars. The playground also had a big playhouse, complete with a few slides and tunnels to go through. 

"We're here," Dinah announced, stopping to get off of her bike, "This was my favorite place to come as a kid. When the house got too full and I wanted to be alone for a little while, I'd venture out here and hang out. I still come here sometimes, especially if I'm down." 

Camila got off of her bike, "I can't remember the last time I've been on a swing. I'll race you to it!" Camila yelled, getting a running start.

Dinah took off after her, eventually catching up to Camila and surpassing her. By time they had made it to the playground area, they were both out of breath.

"That was my cardio for the year," Camila said, grinning, "I forgot that you have longer legs than I do, you had an unfair advantage." 

"Don't be a sore loser, Walz," Dinah replied, sitting down on one of the swings, "Since you lost, you have to push me on the swings."

Camila obliged, giving Dinah a starting push. Dinah kept swinging, and they had a rhythm going, where every few seconds Camila would lightly push on Dinah's back and she'd propel forward. Usually Camila disliked pushing other people on the swing, but somehow, she was grateful for this moment. 

They continued to play on the playground for some time, running around like they were five years old. The girls took turns on the swings, and Camila even attempted to go across the monkey bars, but she couldn't compare to Dinah, who had much more upper arm strength than she did. Eventually, they got super worn out, so they both retreated to the grass, lying down and embracing the cool air. 

"Dinah?" Camila said, staring at the moving clouds above.

"Yeah?" 

"Thanks for today, it means a lot to me," Camila responded, "This is the first time I've felt normal in a really long time, so thank you. Sometimes you need to be brought back down to Earth." 

Dinah looked over at her best friend, "I'd do anything for you, Camila. You keep me grounded too, I don't think there's anyone else that holds me down the way you do." 

"You always know the right things to say," Camila responded, smiling up at the sky, "I'm so happy I could almost kiss you right now." 

"Almost?" Dinah asked, her heart pounding in her ears.

Camila made eye contact with Dinah, becoming breathless, "Yeah, almost." 

Without hesitation, Dinah moved over and kissed Camila on the lips. The first kiss was small and slow, and Camila thought her heart was going to burst out of her chest. Dinah had one hand under Camila's chin, and when she pulled back, Camila immediately wanted to kiss her again. 

With their faces nearly touching, Dinah said, "You have no idea how long I've wanted to kiss you." 

"You have no idea how long I've wanted you to kiss me," Camila responded, and kissed her best friend again. 


	10. ten

From that day forward, Camila and Dinah considered themselves to be girlfriends. Only to themselves, of course, because they were afraid of what the other girls would think. It wasn't because they thought the other girls were homophobic, but they worried about the current state of the group enough as it was, and adding an interband relationship wouldn't improve the dynamic at all. 

At this point, the girls would meet up to do promotional performances every so often, but other than that, they were pretty much free for the time being. When Camila wasn't back home in Miami, she was in California, discreetly exploring the state with her new girlfriend. Thankfully, no one had spotted them out yet, and Camila wanted to keep it that way. It wasn't that she was ashamed or embarrassed, she just wasn't in the right mindset to receive more backlash, even if it would be minor. 

They spent so much time hiding themselves away, kissing only in the back of limousines, holding hands when no one else was around, eating at lonely diners at three in the morning. Maybe it wasn't an ideal situation, but Camila thrived on the romance of it all. 

While the girls were on a small break, Dinah took a flight back to Miami with Camila. Prior to this, Camila had phoned her parents one night from a hotel room in New York, confessing to them that she was in a romantic relationship with Dinah. Her parents weren't too shocked, and they congratulated her more than anything. She was truly blessed to have parents so accepting of her.

Dinah had made herself at home at Camila's house. Dinah had left her toothbrush next to Camila's in the cup holder, she now had a designated seat at the dinner table, and she shared drawers with Camila in her bedroom. She had truly become part of the family. 

On the last night they were in Miami, Camila and Dinah had climbed up to the roof of Camila's house, laying on the building and embracing the cool Florida wind. Camila had done this a million times before, just to talk to the moon and wish on stars, but tonight was different because she had the whole universe laying next to her.

Camila had brought her up there for a reason, though. She'd been having some thoughts lately, ones that scared her a little bit. Camila had been heavily thinking about leaving Fifth Harmony for good, and while she felt like that was best for her and her health, she didn't want to leave Dinah. In a sense, she kind of wanted Dinah's blessing to leave, for Dinah to tell her to put herself first and take the world on, but she wasn't so sure. If the other girls had already turned on her, what was stopping Dinah at this point?

"Dinah?" Camila asked nervously, picking at her fingernails. 

"Yeah?" Dinah responded.

Camila hesitated, then said, "I want to leave."

Cocking her head, Dinah replied, "Okay, do you want to go back inside and watch a movie? It is a little chilly out here, even for Florida." 

"No, Dinah, not the roof. I think I want to leave Fifth Harmony, for good," Camila said, exhaling heavily after she spoke. 

"Mila, what?" Dinah said, her voice shrill in disbelief, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Just hear me out, Dinah. We're renewing our contract soon, and there's this part of me that keeps telling me not to do it. I can't stay in a group where the fans hate me and so do the majority of the members. I'm tired of reading comments about how my voice ruins songs, I'm tired of people faking screenshots and calling me a snake, I'm tired of being ignored every single day by the people who were supposed to be my sisters. My heart is tired, Dinah, and I don't know how much I can take," Camila confessed, feeling a bit relieved. 

Dinah moved closer to Camila, holding one of her hands in her own. With the other hand, Dinah cupped Camila's cheek, lifting her chin up to make eye contact with her. Camila stared into her best friend's eyes, trying not to cry because it seemed like all she ever did nowadays was cry. 

Squeezing Camila's hand, Dinah said, "Camila, I don't fully understand what you're going through, but we can get through this. Together we've gotten through every hardship we've ever had to face, and we've come out on top. We'll put the pieces back together like we always do." 

"Not this time," Camila answered, "Sometimes things are too broken to be fixed. As much as I'd love to mend my friendship with the girls, they don't want to. Every time either of us has tried, they've either turned their cheek or they still held some bitter resentment against me. No matter what I do, they can't seem to let shit go, and that's not my problem anymore. I apologized, I tried to be nice, but I can't change people." 

"Camila..." Dinah said, at a loss for words, "I don't know how to help. I don't want you to go." 

"It's not my ideal situation either but here we are," Camila responded, "If you would have asked me a year ago where I'd see myself now, I would tell you that I'd be performing and making music with my four best friends in the entire world. My four soulmates. Never in a thousand different outcomes did I ever think we would end up like this." 

Dinah brought her hands back to herself, resting her chin on her hands. She wondered when things had gotten so bad, why her entire dream was falling apart in front of her eyes. Was it because of the song? Or was there something she was missing? Dinah had always been able to find another way and fix everything, but it seemed like Camila's mind was made up. 

"You can't fix everything, Dinah," Camila said, "You're my hero, you make me smile when I'm sad. You kiss me and tell me everything is going to be okay when I've been reading mean comments or you see that I'm down. Throughout everything you've always stuck by me, and I love you for that, but sometimes things need to break to get better."

A moment passed between them, and Dinah hid her face behind her arms, the telltale sign that she was crying. Camila hated knowing that she was the reason for those tears, that she was breaking her girlfriend's heart, but this was something she had to do.

"Please don't hate me, don't think I'm selfish or a snake, because I've never loved something as much as I love you. Making you upset kills me, but I have to do this for my own sake. I've put all of my energy, all of my blood, sweat, and tears into the group, and it's wearing me down," Camila said, putting a hand on Dinah's thigh, "I loved Fifth Harmony almost as much as I love you, but it's time for me to wake up, it's time to let go before the whole thing implodes."

"I don't want to go on without you," Dinah replied, wiping away the tears from her face.

"You won't have to, we can make it work, like you said," Camila answered, "Even if we aren't in the same group, that doesn't mean we have to hate each other or break up."

"I don't want to ever lose you," Dinah responded.

Camila kissed her girlfriend on the forehead, "And you never will." 

Shortly after the conversation, Dinah and Camila went back inside. They changed into their pajamas and got under the covers in Camila's bed. Camila couldn't help but notice how splotchy Dinah's face was, like she kept trying to hold back tears. 

After Camila turned off the lamp next to her bed and said goodnight, Dinah cuddled up to her, kissing Camila's cheek and whispering, "Don't let me go, Camila." 

When Camila was certain that Dinah was asleep, she cried silently into her pillow.


	11. eleven

The time to sign the branding contract had come around quicker than Dinah had expected it to. On an early April afternoon, Dinah and three other girls sat around a table with their lawyer and an executive from their record label. Dinah was the only one who wasn't completely confused, because Camila hadn't told the other girls she was planning on leaving. Dinah had hoped it wouldn't have come to this, but here she was, sitting in a room without her best friend by her side.

"Where's Camila?" Lauren asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"She's not coming," Dinah responded, her voice shaky, "Camila isn't signing the branding contract because she's not planning on being here much longer." 

The room completely stopped. Everyone was staring at Dinah, their expressions completely bewildered and taken aback. Ally was the first to respond, scoffing and rolling her eyes, like she had expected this. Normani and Lauren exchanged a cutting glance, then they looked back at Dinah. 

"And she couldn't have told us this herself?" Normani asked, fuming.

"That's typical Camila, she's has quite the habit of lying," Lauren responded, shaking her head in pure disbelief. 

"Or maybe she just didn't feel comfortable talking to you guys about anything?" Dinah said, defending her girlfriend, "You haven't been the most open of people, you'd rather shut her out than try to understand her motives. You'd rather believe what losers on the internet have to say about her than actually making an effort to speak to her. Maybe it wouldn't have come to this if you all would stop being so damn childish." 

Lauren pursed her lips, "Why would you stand up for her when she lied to you too? She deceived all of us last time I checked, Dinah. Stop being so blind." 

"She thought she was doing the right thing. Her heart is in a good place but her actions may not always reflect that. We all know Camila and her passion for music. Why is it so bad for her to feature on someone else's song? I know you all want to believe that she has this master plan to pull the wool over our eyes and upstage us, but she doesn't. If you would have just talked to her and stopped giving her the silent treatment, you'd know this," Dinah replied, tired of giving the girls the same old mantra. 

"Why are you so adamant on defending her?" Ally asked, disgusted.

Dinah stared her down, "Why are you so obsessed with hating her and trying to make her feel bad?"

"Alright, that's enough girls," Dina, the girls' lawyer, said, "Without her signature on this contract, she won't be a part of the group's brand anymore. That won't completely remove her from the group, that process is a whole other pain in the ass, but this is one step closer to it. Dinah, are you sure this is what she wants to do?"

"I'm positive," Dinah said, remembering the many talks they had about Camila's place in the group. Even though it hurt her, Dinah knew this is what was best for her girlfriend. 

Dina made a face of disapproval, then she dropped the subject altogether. She read the girls what the renewal of their branding contract entailed, which was something they'd all heard before. Everyone signed the contract, four names instead of the usual five, and then they were free to leave.

As the girls were heading out of the door, Dina had stopped them, "Before this goes completely down the drain, I would suggest you girls get a group therapist. You all obviously have a lot of strong feelings and maybe talking it out would be the best solution to this. It's not too late to fix the group." 

"That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea," Ally responded, looking to the other girls for support.

Dinah was practically seething. She had told the girls endlessly that all they needed to do was talk it out with each other, but instead they opted for the bitter, silent route. Even when things had started to look up for them, they still refused to let go of situation. Dinah wanted to lash out on them, but she had pretty much reached her limit for the day. 

"I could find a therapist and set up a meeting if you'd like," Dina offered, and the girls agreed. 

On the way back to Dinah's home, she sent a text off to her girlfriend.

**Dinah | 3:43 PM**

How would you feel about going to a group therapist? Maybe we could try and work things out so if you do choose to leave, you won't go out on awful terms.

**Camila | 3:44 PM**

Are you serious? They'd gang up on me and you know it. No thanks. 

**Dinah | 3:44 PM**

You never know until you try. 

**Camila | 3:45 PM**

That's true, but I just don't have a good feeling about it.

I'll go once, and if they make me feel uncomfortable or they go out of their way to make me look like I'm the only one in the wrong, then I'm not going again. 

**Dinah | 3:45 PM**

Once is good enough to me, then no one can say you didn't try. 

Dinah put her phone away, listening to the other girls talk in the car. They had forgotten the topic of Camila, instead focusing on their upcoming trip to the United Kingdom. The UK was one of Dinah's favorite places to visit, and she knew Camila loved it just as much. Hopefully Dinah could plan something romantic for the two of them, since Camila was all obsessed with the cheesy, syrupy sweet romance. 

The car ride home was lonely because Camila wasn't there with her. Dinah suddenly got super anxious, thinking about a time in the future where Camila would no longer be sitting next to her in the car, listening to her iPod or laughing loudly at something Dinah said. A day would come where Dinah wouldn't look across the stage to see her best friend smiling at her wildly, her brown eyes twinkling under the stage lights. In an indefinite amount of time, everything was going to change. 

The clock was ticking, and Dinah didn't want to let go. 


	12. twelve

All five girls sat in a circle, avoiding eye contact and not speaking. The therapist had pulled up a sixth chair where she would sit, right between Lauren and Normani. Camila sat next to Dinah, biting away at her fingernails. The air in the room was tense, and Camila felt like she was suffocating.

"So, who would like to start?" The therapist said, "Please introduce yourselves and let me know what you'd like to achieve in this therapy session or just in general."

Lauren was the first to speak, "Hi I'm Lauren, I think all of us have a common goal of wanting to repair what has been broken. There's a miscommunication that's happening here, or maybe we're expressing our emotions in the wrong way, but there's a lot we need to work through."

"Good," The therapist said, jotting something down on her clipboard, "Can you pinpoint one of the problems for me?"

"Well, it all started last November," Lauren said, "Camila released a solo song without telling any of us about it. We all feel hurt and a bit betrayed since she did this behind our backs, even though there's not supposed to be any secrets between us."

"You think it started in November? I'm sorry, but I think I'm the one she left in the pit at a Taylor Swift concert to go write a song with Shawn Mendes," Ally replied, "No, it was earlier than November. This started back in July of 2015."

The therapist began writing again, but before she could give more input, Normani butted in.

"It was even earlier than that. Is everyone else forgetting the birthday party that Taylor Swift threw for her? She didn't invite any of us. I heard about the party from a magazine interviewer," Normani added, clearly still hurt.

"When was this?" The therapist asked.

"March of 2015," Normani answered.

Camila kept her head down, messing with the rip in her jeans. Dinah had noticed dark circles under her girlfriend's eyes when she had came into the room, an indicator that she didn't get any sleep the night before. Dinah wished she had been there with her.

Putting her pen down, the therapist said, "What were your names?"

Ally and Normani introduced themselves, and then the therapist continued writing. When she was done, she asked which one of them was Camila, and then she asked Dinah's name. After that, she took off her glasses.

"It's apparent to me that you all have a lot of unresolved issues considering that a lot of these instances happened last year. What have you done to try and move forward?"

Dinah spoke up, "I know Camila had talks with a few of the girls, but other than that, nothing. I constantly tell them that they need to move past the bullshit and talk through their issues, but it's such an uncomfortable situation."

"I see," The therapist responded, "Camila? Do you have anything you need to say?"

Biting the inside of her lip, Camila thought, then said, "I never, ever meant to hurt anyone in the group. I didn't have a clue that you guys were upset about the birthday party, and I'm sorry for that, but I had no control over it. Taylor arranged the entire get together, it was a surprise party. I would have loved it if you guys were there but I didn't even know about it myself. I'm allowed to have other friends outside of the group, I should be able to have friends of my own without you guys getting angry about it."

"No one said you couldn't have other friends," Normani responded, "It would just be nice to be included sometimes. You're the most popular person in the group, everyone loves you more than the rest of us. Taylor would have never thrown us a birthday party, and it says a lot that she didn't even think to invite us."

"Maybe it's because she's my friend and she was doing something nice for me? Look, I can't tell you why she didn't invite you guys, but it's not my fault. I know you want to believe I have some elaborate plan to screw all of you over, but I really don't. I never wanted to leave, I never thought I was better than you, so stop accusing me of things you've never even had the audacity to ask me about," Camila replied, obviously tired of defending herself over and over again.

The therapist continued writing, then said, "I think the main problem here is a lack of communication and that you all are assuming things about each other that may not be true. If I'm picking up on this correctly, you four believe that Camila is doing all of this to lead to an eventual solo career, right?"

Three of the girls nodded, but Dinah didn't move at all. Never had she thought that Camila wanted to leave to pursue a music career, but she kept it in the back of her mind that she'd eventually go because the dynamic was so broken.

"Okay, and what lead you girls to that conclusion? Was is the solo song, the famous friends, or something else?" The therapist asked.

"A mixture of those things," Lauren answered, "All of us have always been inseparable, but there was a point where we felt like Camila was keeping secrets from us. We didn't know about the birthday party, she left Ally in the pit at a concert to hang out with Shawn, and she released a song without telling us. All of us were left completely in the dark, it made us question her motives and if she was using us to further her own career."

Camila furrowed her eyebrows, "You think I faked years of friendship just to backdoor you? I put all of my energy and love into this group, into you guys. Yes, maybe I could have been a bit more open with what I was doing, but I was a featured vocalist on a song that was released when we had nothing planned. I know you guys like to make it seem like I was never there, but I was."

"Can you elaborate on that, Camila?" The therapist asked.

"Of course," Camila responded, "One time, we were scheduled to record one day. I got my sessions done early because that night, I was performing my song at Jingle Ball with my friend, Shawn. They acted like I missed the recording session by posting all over Snapchat and Twitter about it. If fans don't start drama, then they contribute to it. When people were making up lies about me, Normani tweeted out a shady tweet. They stir the pot but don't want to take any blame for it."

The therapist tapped her chin with her pen, "There's problems on both sides, but neither of you want to admit that you're wrong. You four want to put all of the blame on Camila, and Camila believes that she's being treated unfairly. No one is right here, you've both done things out of spite or you've made a wrong choice, is that fair?"

The girls nodded, and Dinah responded, "The problem is that no one is talking to each other about it. They'd rather be immature and give Camila the silent treatment. Camila is afraid to talk to them because she thinks they'll make her more upset. There's no winning here when neither of them want to fix it."

"Sometimes life doesn't work out the way we want it to," Camila said, "I thought we had gotten past this, but they keep making snide remarks and it's not the same as it used to be."

"Do you think it'll ever be the same, Camila?" The therapist asked.

"I used to wish it would be, but I've given up all hope at this point," Camila answered.

...

The therapy session ended exactly an hour after they had started. The rest of the session was filled with bickering over the same tired topics the girls always argued about. When it had come time to leave, Camila felt like the situation was worse now than it was before they had started therapy. The therapist had told them that it may look bad now, but things get worse before they get better. Camila wasn't sure if she believed that.

"Are you okay?" Dinah asked her, putting her hand on the small of Camila's back, "I know that was tough for you."

"I'm fine," Camila responded, "I just want to be alone."

Dinah understood, distancing herself from Camila. She let the girl go, having her mother pick her up instead of riding with the other girls. Dinah wished she was there to support Camila right now, but she didn't want to be overbearing when she needed some time by herself.

On the ride home, Dinah sat next to Normani, who was resting her chin on her hand and looking out the window. The girls were pretty quiet, which was unusual. They were always loud and talkative, even after they had been working their asses off.

When Dinah got back home, she texted Camila to make sure she was alright.

 **Dinah | 8:45 PM**  
Still doing okay?

 **Camila | 8:45 PM**  
I'd be better if I had some ice cream and my girlfriend here with me.

 **Dinah | 8:46 PM**  
I'll catch the next bus. Hold tight.

Dinah let her family know where she was going, then she walked to the bus stop. Maybe ice cream and cuddles wouldn't fix everything, but it was a start.


	13. thirteen

The first therapy session was also the last. Dinah and Camila had spent the night together in the hotel, eating ice cream and watching movies that made Camila happy. Dinah spent the night comforting Camila, letting her know that she was proud of her for trying to fix things, but it was okay if she didn't want to go again. Camila had told Dinah wasn't returning to group therapy again, and that was that.

Nothing changed after that day. The girls ignored Camila more than ever, keeping to themselves completely, and Camila had distanced herself from them. Camila knew that their friendship was beyond full repair, but she had never felt so hopeless before. Sometimes she found herself thinking that she would rather be talked down to than be treated like she wasn't even there. It hurt her to watch her best friends turn into strangers, but there was nothing Camila could do about it now.

At this point, Camila had to suck it up and pretend she was fine. There was no way she could get out of her contract when they had an album coming out in a few days, and a world tour coming up soon after. When they had a bit of an off season after Jingle Ball, it was a possibility.

It wasn't that Camila actually wanted to leave. If she had it her way, she and the girls would be completely fine and they'd be a group forever. Instead, everyone hated her and people were betting on how long she'd stay before going solo. Camila just wanted the sadness to stop, and the only way she could see that happening was if she left.

But for now, she would have to deal with it. Camila would make it out eventually, but for now, life wasn't too great. If it weren't for Dinah having her back, Camila wasn't sure if she'd be able to stay brave through this.

One good thing that Camila could look forward to was their trip to the United Kingdom. Camila loved Europe, and to be there for the album release was even more magical. Plus, Dinah had told Camila that she had something special planned for them. To say Camila was excited was the understatement of the century.

Their tour manager texted them that night regarding their trip to the UK.

 **Will | 9:23 PM**  
Bad news, can only get four hotel rooms for London. Who's sharing?

 **Lauren | 9:23 PM**  
I'm having flashbacks to the days where we had to share microphones during soundcheck.

 **Normani | 9:24 PM**  
That was the worst. We also had to share hotel rooms every single time because we were poor as hell.

 **Dinah | 9:25 PM**  
Those were the daysssss  
Camila wouldn't mind sharing a room with me

 **Will | 9:26 PM**  
Great. See you then.

Camila's phone starting ringing a few seconds later. Dinah was calling her.

"Hey, I don't know if you saw the group chat but we're rooming together in London. I hope that's okay with you," Dinah said.

Camila smiled, pressing the phone against her cheek, "It's more than okay with me. A whole week of cuddling with Dinah in one of my favorite places? I'm totally in."

"Okay, I wanted to make sure I wasn't overstepping some boundaries by assuming you'd want to room with me," Dinah confessed, "I didn't know if you'd prefer to be alone."

"I'd rather be with you than anyone else," Camila replied.


	14. fourteen

"Dinah," Camila cooed, poking her girlfriend in the cheek, "It's time to wake up. If you don't, I'm throwing cold water on you." 

Rolling over onto her stomach, Dinah grunted, "Mila, let me sleep. It's too early." 

"I know but we have to get our makeup done soon. We're the first two in line," Camila responded, not too pleased with the ordeal either.

"I'm so glad this means I'm last tomorrow," Dinah said, turning over again to face her girlfriend, "Hi. How do you look so cute in the morning?" 

Camila blushed, "Hi to you too, sleepy head. How do  _you_  look so cute in the morning?" 

"We're so cute it makes me sick," Dinah said, grinning softly at Camila, "We're the worst kind of cheesy." 

"We really are, that's what makes us so wonderful together," Camila responded, kissing her girlfriend on the forehead, "Now get up and get showered. Will sent us our schedules this morning and we have a busy day ahead of us." 

Dinah groaned again, shoving her face into her pillow.

Camila crossed her arms, raising her eyebrow, "Dinah Jane, if you don't get up in the next ten seconds, I'm going to have to start tickling you, and you know I will. One..." Camila started.

Pushing herself up, Dinah glared at Camila, "Alright, alright! I'm up, put your weapons away. I'll be in the shower, feel free to join me if you'd like." 

Camila's skin blazed, "The offer is tempting, but I already showered. Even though I'm second in the call line, I felt obligated to let my girlfriend sleep in a little longer." 

"Why's that?" Dinah asked.

"Because you're cute when you sleep. You know, snoring really loud, drooling all over your pillow. You're really something," Camila teased, grinning at Dinah. 

Scoffing, Dinah responded, "I don't deserve this type of abuse, especially at this ungodly hour. I'm taking my shower now," Dinah said, acting all huffy. 

"I love you," Camila said, a bit breathless. 

Dinah stopped for a second, then smiled widely, "I love you too, Camila." 

...

The girls had been on a constant promotional tour for their album, 7/27, which was released worldwide today. So far they had done performances, interviews, they had met fans, and they'd even had a little ride on a double decker bus around the city of London. It was dreamlike, but also very tiring. 

They had wrapped up as the sun was falling down in the sky. The girls all returned back to their hotel, being pushed away from all of the screaming fans as they entered the lobby. Once inside, they all packed into the elevator, and then went their separate ways. Normani and Ally had their own rooms, Lauren was sharing with her girlfriend, Lucy, and of course, Dinah and Camila had a hotel room together. In front of the cameras, their bond was inseparable, but when it came time to wind down, they all got as far away from each other as possible. 

"I don't think I've been this tired in months," Dinah said as she fell back onto their bed.

"At least we'll never have to do it again," Camila responded, shrugging out of her pink fur coat. 

"You're right," Dinah responded, "How about we take a nap and then we go explore the city a little bit? By that time, no one will be out so there will be less of a chance of getting photographed." 

Camila shrugged, "The fans are still going strong outside."

"I mean, I'd love to go out and meet them, but I don't want anyone following us. After today, I want to spend time alone with you," Dinah said.

"Dinah, you're too sweet," Camila gushed, "We'll figure something out. Right now, all I want to do is take all of this makeup off and go to bed," Camila said, already searching through her luggage for her makeup wipes and a pair of sweatpants. 

...

After Camila and Dinah had woken up from their nap, it was already one o'clock in the morning. By time Camila had opened her eyes, Dinah was already up, sneaking a picture of Camila sleeping. Camila pretended to be offended, but secretly she found the gesture super sweet. Dinah had told her she couldn't resist because her girlfriend looked adorable while she slept. Camila's face hurt from smiling. 

The girls changed into clothes that wouldn't draw any attention if they happened to be spotted. Camila wore a pair of leggings and a t shirt, while Dinah opted for shorts and a tank top. Neither of them did anything special to their hair or their makeup, and Camila was relieved that she was this comfortable with her significant other. With Dinah, she never had to pretend. 

Dinah had seen on Snapchat that Ally was out front with the fans, listening to the album with them and taking selfies, so they were distracted for now. Camila and Dinah decided to sneak out of the back of the hotel to lay low and not give their location away. 

While Camila was asleep, Dinah had checked to see what restaurants and tourist attractions were near by. Thankfully, they were close to some really beautiful spots, so Dinah would have to resume her position as Camila's photographer for the night. Plus, they had a lot of nice restaurants that seemed super lowkey, so Dinah had planned to take Camila out to eat somewhere small tonight. The bigger reservations came later in the week on their day off, but Camila didn't know that.

"Ready?" Dinah asked, her hand on the doorknob. 

Camila nodded, strapping her Polaroid camera around her neck, then she followed her girlfriend out into the hallway. 

The two left out of a back entrance, walking behind a few other buildings just to make sure they were in the clear. Once they were pretty far removed from the hotel, Dinah and Camila made their way toward the sidewalk, which lead to all of the shops and restaurants that lined the streets. Barely anyone was out, so Dinah and Camila held hands, Camila walking excitedly in front of Dinah. 

From where they were walking, Big Ben was visible. Camila turned around to face Dinah, smiling widely as she quoted one of her favorite Disney movies, "There it is, Dinah! The second star to the right and straight on 'til morning!" 

Camila was pointing to the stars behind Big Ben, where they twinkled brightly in the sky. At this moment, Dinah knew that she would never love someone as much as she loved Camila.

"You're such a dork," Dinah remarked, her heart full. 

"But I'm your dork!" Camila said loudly up ahead, walking so quickly that Dinah could barely keep up. 

They didn't do much for a while, just walked around and enjoyed each other's company. Holding hands, especially in public, was such a risky move, but at the same time it was so freeing. Underneath the city lights Camila felt like herself, even if it was just for a little while. 

Dinah had spotted a place for them to eat, a restaurant with only two other customers who were more than likely too old to know who Dinah and Camila were. They had taken a booth at the back of the restaurant, Camila's back to the door, and ordered greasy comfort food. The restaurant was dingy and smelled like smoke, much like the other restaurants Camila and Dinah found themselves on during their late night dates. 

"Smile," Camila said, raising her camera up to take her customary picture of Dinah on their date. 

Every time the couple went out for a late night date, Camila brought her Polaroid camera along. They had gotten into the tradition of taking at least one picture of each other on their date. They put all of these photographs into separate albums, just for a keepsake. Dinah had a book full of Camila, and Camila had one of Dinah. 

Every single date and moment was immortalized forever, and sometimes the two looked through the books, just to reminisce about their good times together. 

Dinah had grinned largely at the camera, showing off her pretty smile. Once the photo had printed itself out, Camila handed the camera to Dinah, and posed like a princess for the camera.

"You're my princess," Dinah said, pressing her finger down on the button and taking Camila's picture. 

Camila blushed, admiring the picture once it printed, "I wish we could post these online one day. I want everyone to know how much I love you, but," Camila trailed off, knowing that this was going to stay a fantasy. 

"Me too, but you know that would only complicate things," Dinah responded, frowning, "We have no idea what the girls would do, if the fans would support us. It's too much of a risk when this band is already falling apart at the seams." 

Camila was quiet for a few seconds, then she said, "Do you think this is my fault?" 

"Not entirely, I think everyone is to blame," Dinah responded, "We've all acted in ways we shouldn't have and we all say words we don't mean. I'm so tired of dwelling on the past, Mila, I wish everyone could move on." 

As Dinah finished speaking, the waiter came by with their food. The two girls ate, hungry from barely eating all day, and they changed the subject to something lighter. They discussed seeing the city today and funny moments that happened while they were out promoting the album. Dinah promised Camila that they'd get to see more of the city later in the week, and seeing Camila's face light up with joy made it all worth it. 

The girls paid and left after they finished eating, leaving the waiter a hefty tip. The city was more dead than it was earlier, the streets almost completely barren of any life at all. Even though they couldn't explore in the daylight, Camila was more than pleased to feel the atmosphere with the person she loved. 

They walked around some more, admiring all of the little shops that had closed up for the night. Eventually, they had come up to an empty park. Dinah pushed Camila on the swings for a little while, and then they laid down on the grass together, just like they had when they first kissed each other. The whole night was surreal, and Camila didn't want it to end. 

Camila and Dinah lay in the park until it got chilly out and dew began to form on their clothes. They walked back to the hotel after that, not getting lost to their surprise, and they entered the way they had left. 

"Thank you for tonight," Camila said when they were in the elevator, her tummy still tingling from the high of the date, "I always love spending time with you, and it's so insane that we get to see the world together." 

"Just wait," Dinah replied, winking at her girlfriend, "Now let's go take a shower and go to bed, we've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow and you've got a five o'clock call time."

Camila groaned, dreading another day full of promotion and talking and being around people who hated her, but she sucked it up, knowing it would be okay because Dinah was there with her. If it weren't for Dinah, Camila didn't know how she would survive staying in the group, if she'd even survive at all. 


End file.
